Thompson vs Thompson (closed for Gr8chtr)

It was early morning when Teri kissed Walker good-bye. Somehow, instead of him going home with a couple of her boxes, they had loaded the boxes into his car and found themselves in bed. Teri wasn't even sure how it happened, but she wasn't complaining. Funny how one good night kiss could lead to a whole lot more. She was still smiling as she watched his car pull away from the curb.

Since it was early, she decided to go out for some pastries for the office. It was one of those cold, frosty mornings that burned the sinuses and made a person feel alive. There was no hiding the extra bounce in her step as she carried back the bakery box. Starting up a pot of coffee, she settled into her desk with a bear claw and large cup of coffee. It was exciting and strange at the same time to realize that this time next week, she wouldn't be just coming down the stairs to work, but would actually be driving from Walker's place. The idea made her shiver with excitement and nervousness.

When she heard Beth come in, she took her coffee and went down to talk to her. After a few minutes of discussing her moving on the weekend, Teri approached the idea she had regarding Dottie Summerfield.

"As you know, I am working on an emancipation case for a teen, Dottie Summerfield. She is still in high school and is on the honor roll. She has a decent paying job, much better than one expects for a teenager and her boss is incredibly supportive. He will help her with her college expenses and guarantee her a job as long as she wants it. So she has met those requirements. She has to get her mother's permission, which could be tricky since mother is dependent on Dottie to take care of her as she is an alcoholic. I think we can get the judge to waive that since she is abusive. What is causing Dottie some stress is that she can't find a place to live. Since she is only 16, most people don't want to rent to her despite her income. So, I had an idea. I think it would work, but I need your input."

"Sounds like she is a very mature young lady. What is your idea?"

"As you know, I will be moving out from upstairs over the weekend. What do you think of renting the room to Dottie? It would give her a place to live and we would still make a little money towards the mortgage, which we would have to cover even if the place was empty. I like the idea of having the place occupied, but, honestly, I like the idea that we could keep an eye on Dottie. As mature as she seems, she is still only 16. The only thing that might be iffy would be that she would be coming and going through the firm's offices to get in and out. I trust her, but how would you feel about that?"

"Hmm..." Beth leaned back in her chair and sipped her coffee. Teri could see the wheels turning, so she waiting quietly sipping her own coffee.

"I think this would work. We would have to lock our offices every night just to protect ourselves, not because of Dottie so much as that we should be doing that anyway. We will need to move the files in Patsy's reception area to the break room, there is enough room, and then keep it locked." She paused...her brain still working. Then she nodded, "Yeah, I think that will work. I think if we charge five hundred dollars and include the utilities, it will be lower than cost of the average one bedroom apartment in the area, but it will show that she is meeting her residency requirement." She smiled, "I think that will work, what do you think?"

Teri was excited. Of course, she would have to run the idea past Dottie, but this would go a long way toward getting her out on her own. She liked the idea that the apartment would be occupied by someone they could trust. She would miss living there, so having someone who would fit into the space made her feel better about moving out.

"I will ask Dottie when I see her this afternoon. Thanks, Beth, I really think this will work out for all of us. I like knowing we are helping Dottie, but I also like knowing we will have some extra income coming into the business. I will call Jack Partnist and get him to put together a rental agreement form. Even if Dottie doesn't take it, we will still want to use the form at sometime."

Teri gave Beth a hug and went back to her office. Jack Partnist was the firm's business CPA. When she and Beth had decided to go into business together, they chose Jack to help them with the financial paperwork. He helped them with the mortgage of the building, did their taxes and payroll, and consulted when they had cases that required the expertise of a numbers guy.

After the phone call, Teri refilled her coffee cup, grabbed another danish as a reward for her work, and took a phone call from Child Services about a child that had been removed from her home last night. She spent the afternoon talking to the social worker, the mother, and the child. Then she scheduled a time with the family court judge. While she had the court's clerk on the line, she also made an appointment for Dollie to update the judge on the progress she was making towards meeting her emancipation goals.

At four, Patsy showed Dollie into Beth's office. After a minute of pleasantries, Teri got down to business.

"Have you gotten your mother's signature yet?"

"No, I brought the idea up and she shut me down. She starting yelling and there was no way to have a calm conversation. Ms. Jackson, I don't know if she will ever sign it."

"That could be a problem, Dottie, but maybe we can get the judge to waive that. We have an appointment next Tuesday at 4 o'clock. Can you make that?"

"Yes. I know I can get the time off work. Do you think she would let me get out without my mother's permission?"

"I don't know for sure. All we can do is ask. Have you found a place to live?"

"No. I am truly frustrated. I went to four places over the weekend, but I got the same response each time. I am too young. It is so frustrating. I know I am young. But I want out so bad. I just don't know what to do. Between this and my mom, do you even think this is possible? I am losing hope."

"Look, Dottie, whatever you do, don't lose hope. You knew when you first came to this office that emancipation was a long shot. Judges don't hand that out on a frequent basis. However, I think I might have a solution to your housing problem."

Dottie perked up. "You do, what is it?"

"There is an apartment above these offices. I have been living there, but I am moving out this weekend. It is a one bedroom/one bath with a decent sized living area and kitchen. There is a laundry in the unit. The place comes furnished. The one issue is that the only way in and out of the apartment is by going through the office area. Would you be interested in renting it?"

"Are you kidding? I would love to live there. But, how much would it cost?"

"We are charging five hundred dollars a month with the utilities included. For you, we would waive the moving in costs that most places want. Would you like to see it?"

The two of them went upstairs and, although it was a little cluttered from the packing Teri was doing, it was easy to see the available space. Dottie was so excited she was visually trembling.

"This would be perfect, better that perfect. It is so much nicer than the places I have seen. Oh, Ms. Jackson, could I really live here?"

Teri smiled. At the moment, Dottie sounded like a happy teen should sound. "Yes. I have some paperwork being put together to make it official. But there is still the issue with your mother's permission. I will bring the papers to the judge's chambers on Tuesday. If she will waive your mother's permission, then we can sign on the rental agreement."

The two headed downstairs and Teri introduced Dottie to Beth. Once Dottie left, Teri told Beth about Dottie's excitement. The two women talked for a bit.

Teri went upstairs to make dinner and pack some more boxes. She called Walker and told him about Dottie's possibility of moving into the apartment. By the time she crawled into bed, she was feeling very positive about the progress she was making both with Dottie's case and her packing.

Daniel's morning was a flurry of activity, but he wasn't complaining. Being pulled to his lover's bed was hardly a bad thing. He hadn't planned to stay the night at Teri's, so he wasn't dressed for work. As soon as Teri kissed him goodbye he drove home quickly, showered, shaved, changed, grabbed a piece of toast and piece of fruit, and drove back just as quickly to his office. Wanting to make a good impression in case he was a bit late and badly needing coffee, he stopped briefly at the little bakery, got a cup of coffee, and bought breakfast pastries for everyone at the office.

He had not told his co-workers about Teri moving in. It wasn't that he was embarrassed by that; he know that they would all approve. But, he knew that they would tease him unmercifully until, at last, the novelty wore off. He wasn't ready for that.

Work went well. He called the UVA Immigration Law Clinic and they agreed to take on Maria Lopez' case. The Lopez family had a car, but he was prepared, if necessary, to drive Maria there himself, if needed. He called her with the hopeful news. He then buried himself in the paperwork that goes with being a lawyer.

Although he was reasonably focused on his work, his mind frequently drifted to the upcoming move. The rest of the week promised to be as exciting a week as he had had in many years. Friday night would feature the celebratory party thrown by Teri's office, and Saturday would mark the beginning of what could only be described as a new chapter in his life. How that chapter would end or what the next chapter would be was unknown. He and Teri had decided to take a risk. Daniel was ready.

He knew that Teri wanted to concentrate on her emancipated minor case, but he couldn't resist making some contact with her. He pulled out his phone and quickly sent a brief text to her: Hi, my love. Thanks for the great [wink] evening! I am so jazzed about the party on Friday and your move on Saturday that I can hardly wait. Humor me. When you're free send me a kiss emoji.

Teri glanced at her phone and rolled her eyes. Kiss emoji? Did this man not know her at all? She shook her head and then spent a few minutes trying to figure out how to use an emoji. Instead of a kiss, she sent this:

Sending the message, she returned to the papers she was reviewing for the juvenile court. Another child had been removed from their home last night because of the parents' abuse while high. Teri wished that the police could do something about the rampant drug abuse here in town, preferably before another child was hurt. When she finished the papers, she handed them over to Patsy who would make copies, send the forms to the court, set up an appointment for Teri to meet with the child and judge. Sometimes she wished she had gone into corporate law. Family law was sad a lot of the time. But she was rewarded when she could help someone find a way out of the sadness. She worried that there weren't enough foster homes for all the children caught up in the drug world of their parents.

She left the office and walked to Jack Partnist's office to pick up the rental agreement. A few minutes of chat and a review of the papers, and she was on her way back. The walk had done her some good and chased away the sadness of the morning. She picked up some sandwiches and headed back to work.

That evening she packed up all but the last minute items she would need for the week. She took a couple of loads of boxes over to Walker's and had a light dinner with him. Although staying the night sounded good, Teri wanted to be fresh for her meeting with the judge on Tuesday.

Tuesday, she met with the judge and Dottie. The judge listened to Dottie's story and why she wanted to move out of her home. Teri showed the judge the Emancipation Application that she had filed with the courts and evidence of Dottie's employment. There was a statement from Dottie's boss telling what Dottie did and that he would pay for her college courses when she graduated from high school. Teri pulled out the rental application she had picked up the day before. She explained that Beth was in agreement and that they were willing to rent the apartment to Dottie.

The judge reviewed all the papers and then asked Dottie some questions about her plans for her future. She then asked the question that concerned Teri the most.

"Dottie, has your mother signed the agreement for you to become an emancipated minor?"

"No, your honor. I tried a couple of times to get her to sign it, but she just got mad and hit me. I can try again, but I don't think she will sign it. If I leave, I can't be there to take care of her all the time. It isn't that she wants me, exactly, she doesn't want to be alone. I can try again, but...," she sighed.

Teri spoke up. "Is it possible for your honor to waive that part of the process? Dottie has completed or shown proof of meeting all the other requirements. She has been staying in an abusive situation in order to meet those requirements. She is aware that there is a six month waiting period where she must live on her own and prove she can take care of herself before the final signing of her papers, but we would like to start the six month period so that she can get out of her mother's house."

"Step outside, ladies, I need to think this through. I will let you know what I decide."

Teri and Dottie sat on the bench outside the judge's chambers. They didn't talk much, both of them afraid that talking would somehow jinx the judge's decision. It was a longer wait than Teri expected, but twenty minutes later they were called back in.

"This is my first emancipation case. I want to be sure that I do everything legally. I called a person in Richmond that has handled a few of these cases. First, let me say that I am very impressed with you, Dottie. You set a goal two years ago and have worked hard to try to make your goal come to fruition. You have a job most adults would envy and are making enough money to meet your needs. You have taken care of your mother for many years and are familiar with budgeting, shopping and cleaning. Ms. Jackson has made sure all the legal work has been done meticulously so there is no way anyone can contest this decision." She paused a moment to drink some water. Both Teri and Dottie were sitting on the edge of their seats.

"Ms. Summerfield, I hereby sign and authorize your application for emancipation. You will be expected to make an appointment to see me in three months for a review. If, at that time, you are successfully providing for yourself, then three months after that, I will sign the final emancipation papers. If, at any time, you decided that you cannot support yourself and wish to return to your mother's home, you will let the court and Ms. Jackson know that you are withdrawing your application. Do you understand this?"

"Does this mean that I can move out of my house and be considered an adult and not live at home any more? My mother can't stop me?" Dottie asked anxiously.

"Congratulations, Dottie, you are now considered a conditional adult. This means that you have a six month waiting period during which you may have as much or as little contact with your mother as you wish. You will be considered an adult and, therefore, are responsible for all decisions that you make. If, and I don't think this will happen, but if, you should run into legal problems you would be tried in adult court. However, you are still not allowed to vote or drink alcohol until you reach the legal age for those activities. I have great expectations of you, young lady, and I know you will not let Ms. Jackson or this court down." The judge broke into a smile and reached her hand across the desk to shake Dottie's hand. "Good luck."

Dottie shook her hand then turned to Teri. "Thank you, thank you, Ms. Jackson. Thank you, your honor. I can't tell you how happy I am. I am so excited, I feel giggly," she laughed.

"One more thing, Dottie. I have signed the waiver for your parental agreement, but I am concerned that your mother may become violent. Teri, when will she be moving into the apartment?"

"I was going to move out Friday, but I think it would be best if we moved that date up. Dottie, how much time will you need to pack up your belongings?"

"Gee, Ms. Jackson, I don't have a lot of things. Just a few clothes and some small items I would like to take with me. I could put it all in a couple of boxes and be ready to go in, I don't know twenty minutes, maybe less. The hard part will be getting out of the house as my mother is always there, but I can figure something out."

Teri looked at the judge. "I am concerned about her mother also. What if I go with Dottie to get her things and she moves into the apartment tonight? She could stay on the couch for the night and I could be out tomorrow. Would that work, Dottie?"

Dottie looked at the judge. "Could I do that? Move out tonight?"

The judge raised her hand. "Wait a minute." She picked up her phone and spoke into it for a few minutes. When she hung up, she smiled. "I think that this would be a very good idea. I just talked to Sheriff Browning. He is going to send a deputy over to Dottie's house. He will meet both of you and stay with you while you pack up your things. He will be there to keep your mother in check. If necessary, he is able to arrest her, although I hope that won't happen. But I want protection for both of you." She smiled again, "Now, both of you get out of here and let me get back to work."

Teri stood and shook the judge's hand. "Thank you, your honor. You have made us both very happy. It was a wonderful gift for the holidays. I hope you have a good holiday break."

"Hold on, Teri, I have these papers I want you to look over when you get back to your office. You can think about it, but I think you would be an excellent candidate. Talk to me after the first when the courts are back in session. Happy holidays to both of you. Now go meet that deputy."

Teri took the clasp envelope curious about its contents, but first she needed to get Dottie settled.

They stopped off at the law office and left the envelope and picked a few boxes that Teri didn't need. Then Teri drove them over to Dottie's house. The deputy was already there and got out of his car to escort them to the house. Dottie's mother screamed invectives at her daughter, but having the deputy there kept her from becoming physical. Teri made a mental note to send a box of chocolates to the judge for thinking of the deputy. She and Dottie had Dottie's belongings, which were really quite meager, boxed up and ready to go in a short time. The deputy helped them carry the boxes to Teri's car. When they were ready to go, Dottie stood by Teri's car and looked back at the house.

"I am happy to be getting out of there, yet, I feel a little sad at the same time. Is that strange?"

"No, Dottie, that sounds perfectly normal to me. She is your mother and a part of you will always love and worry about her. You are leaving a place where you have lived your entire life. It would be strange if you weren't sad. Now, how about we pick up a pizza and go get you settled into your new apartment?"

"That sounds great. I am ready to start my new life."

The two of them ate pizza, put Dottie's things away and talked for awhile. Dottie had some homework to do and then they watched a movie before making up the couch so Dottie could sleep. That night, Teri called Beth and Walker and let them know that Dottie had moved into the apartment.

Teri went to bed feeling as if the fairies had granted her the perfect Christmas present. She figured Dottie was probably feeling the same way.

Teri's moving in the following day, a couple of days earlier than originally planned, went easily well. Daniel had worked hard to get all of the physical arrangements straight and they were now already so much of a couple, spending so much time together, that it didn't seem all that strange to have her move in.

That's not say that Daniel didn't have some butterflies in his stomach. This was a big moment in their relationship and they clearly both knew it. Wisely neither of them decided to make any big speeches or have yet another "serious talk". At times Daniel felt so happy with this turn of events that he couldn't stop grinning, almost childishly. He hoped that Teri didn't catch him at that.

They spent their first night as a cohabiting couple with a quiet dinner and a glass of wine, agreeing that everything of Teri's did not need to be unpacked and put away the first night. Daniel knew that she was understandably excited about her victory on Dottie's behalf. He listened as she relayed all of the details of the hearing with the family court judge, and the subsequent night with Dottie moving in.

But, there was a detail that was missing and Daniel followed up on it. "Wait," he exclaimed, "what about that mysterious envelope that the judge gave you? Did you open it up? What was in there?"

Teri grinned. "I am not sure I agree with the judge, but, wait a second." She jumped up from the table and went to her portfolio. Rummaging around, she found the envelope and handed it to Walker. She was curious as to his reaction. She knew she had been surprised, and had laughed when she read it. She would never have guessed its contents, even if she had had a hundred guesses.

She watched Walker's face carefully as he slid out the paper. It was an official document with a post-it attached. The post-it said,"Teri, I think you would be a wonderful candidate. There is always a need for people."

The document was an application to become a foster parent.

Teri was very curious to see Walker's reaction.

Daniel watched as Teri grinned and made a casual comment about not being sure if she agreed with the judge. He tried to imagine what kind of material the family court judge had given Teri personally, but she seemed light-hearted, even if a bit bemused.

The document was an application to become a foster parent.

Daniel read the document in his hand and realized instantly that his first job was to support Teri. He returned her grin, moved a bit closer and kissed her lightly on her forehead. "You, Teri, would make a great foster parent, no doubt about it," he said with complete genuineness. Her rescue of Dottie was proof of that, and he told her so, filled with the pride of his beloved as he had when every time he thought about how she had handled this case.

Trying to hide the other feelings that he was having, he suggested that they unpack a few more boxes before calling it a night. Doing so allowed Daniel to busy himself as his mind swirled with what had just happened. This was their first night as a cohabiting couple, an event that the two of them had not come to exactly easily. And here was Teri showing him a note from a judge suggesting that Teri apply to be a foster parent. That was the judge's idea, who probably didn't know that Teri had just moved in with him. But Teri had equivocated when she handed him the envelope. She said, "I am not sure..."; she didn't say "I'm not ready", or "I'm not interested", or "We're not ready..". Did she not understand that, unless she was ready to move back out, even applying to be a foster parent would really mean them applying to be such? For whatever time period a foster child might be placed with Teri, they would, essentially, be a family, a couple with a child.

Daniel hoped that none of his angst had shown through. He didn't see any reaction from Teri as they unpacked a few boxes that would suggest that his feelings were showing.

Although they hadn't felt the need to say it, both Daniel and Teri presumably knew that on their first night as a cohabiting couple they would make love. They did so, and to Daniel the intensity was more about personal closeness than it was about eroticism. As they lay warmly side-by-side in the afterglow with his arms wrapped securely around her, he decided to speak his previous thoughts.

"Teri, I repeat what I said earlier. You would make a great foster mom for some needy kid. You'd be great! But, you know, a foster placement would really be with the two of us, probably legally, but definitely de facto. I...I..I'm pretty sure I want children some day, and having a foster child might be a nice way to start down that road, all the time while helping some child who desperately needed parental support. But...you know, Teri...if we went that way, and we got a child placed with us, well...we...well...we would effectively be a family. I mean...well...you know...a couple with a child. We'd probably need to find a bigger place, like some of those that you and I looked at when we went "window shopping" for homes in this area. And...well...you know...if we were going to go that whole route...I mean a foster kid and a bigger place, well...you know, Teri, we might just as well finish the job and get married."

Teri was a little disappointed in Walker's reaction. She had expected him to burst out into laughter, like she had. But he was actually sweet and supportive. It left her with a funny feeling like there was something wrong with her. Was she supposed to have taken this seriously? She was sure the judge had been serious, but Walker? She was glad when he moved onto the idea of unpacking and getting settled in.

Later, when they were getting ready to fall asleep, she got the reaction she had been expecting. She started laughing. "Relax, Walker, I practically fell off my chair laughing when I opened the letter. It was really nice of the judge to consider me, but good grief, I have too much going on in my life right now. It took forever for me to work up the nerve to have a relationship with you, I am definitely not ready for a child in my life."

She laid her hand on his cheek, kissed him gently, "I do want you to know that your support was really sweet. But, I am happy with things as they are moving along. Any faster, I would probably freak out."

A few minutes later, she murmured sleepily, "Maybe some day, years down the road, kids, maybe."

Daniel laughed right along with Teri, but he was really laughing at himself. How could he, at this point, not have realized that Teri was not even considering the judge's suggestion. Notwithstanding, her clear statement that, "I am definitely not ready for a child in my life", was a comfort to hear. The warmth of her kiss on his cheek was a nice ending touch.

Maybe some day, years down the road, kids, maybe.

Daniel's eyes popped open in response to Teri's sleepy murmur. He didn't freak out, though, rather he smiled to himself and murmured back, "And maybe some day, down that road before then, marriage, too, maybe."

-------------------------

Time flew until the Teri's law firm's planned celebration of their cohabitation. Daniel felt a little nervous and too much part of the center of attention, but he was happy and enjoying himself nonetheless. A day before the event he had thrown caution to the wind and, with the consent of Teri's office-mates, invited his three office workers as well who generously offered to contribute to the modest cost of this event. Seeing Teri at one point across the room he was filled with both joy and pride. He knew that he was blessed. Several months ago he had felt nothing but competitiveness toward Teri Jackson, or at least so he thought, and here he was with the finest woman he had ever had a romantic relationship with, seemingly enjoying a celebration of the beginning of their life together.

Gr8chtr and I took the summer off from writing and upon our return have decided that this is an excellent place and way to stop writing Daniel and Teri's story. We assume that they go on to get married, have some ups and downs as all lives do, and, maybe, eventually have children. I hope they buy the big Victorian house and fill it with laughter and love.

We would like to thank all of our readers. We were astonished to see how many of you followed the story and truly appreciate your support.

Sincerely,
Gr8chtr and SF